Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement commending the Department of Homeland Security on its decision to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who were in the United States as of January 12, 2010 for an additional eighteen months, to January 22, 2016.  

Current beneficiaries who want to extend their TPS status must re-register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) between March 3, 2014 and May 2, 2014, and are encouraged to re-register as soon as possible. TPS re-registrants will also have an opportunity to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

“As the representative of many first-generation and second-generation Haitian immigrants to the United States, I know from experience the importance of Temporary Protected Status. Remittances sent to Haiti by those women and men through TPS status are a critical lifeline to families there who are still working hard to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake and extremely anemic economy. The excruciatingly slow pace of recovery necessitates this humanitarian gesture for those who are fortunate to be here and contributing to both communities here in the US and back home in Haiti. I want to thank Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson for his efforts to assist the people of Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora,” said Congresswoman Clarke.

All USCIS forms are free. Applicants can download TPS forms from www.uscis.gov/forms or request them by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.

U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Committee on Small Business, Ethics, and Homeland Security, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents many neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which include Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.